Professor Grace Yawo Gadagbui, Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Education Winneba, has noted that communication disorders are a "hidden" factor accounting for the poor performance of pupils and students with language and reading difficulties. She said this led to lack of success in academic and social settings, and made children growing up to become liabilities to the society. Prof Gadagbui was delivering the first ever "Inaugural Lecture" organised by the University at the auditorium of the South Campus at Winneba on the topic "Communication Disorders and Performance in Leaning Environment". She stated that there was public concern about poor school performance and stressed that doubts had been expressed as to whether teachers had the requisite competencies to deliver. Prof Gadagbui pointed out that failure, hitherto, had been attributed to drunkenness, absenteeism, lateness, large classes and syllabus incompletion, poor expression, grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and lack of satisfying the demands of examination questions. She also noted that such causal factors as genetic predisposition, structural abnormalities and human factors in the environment of learning had a negative impact on language and speech disorders. Prof Gadagbui who is the Head of Special Education of the University of Education, Winneba, stressed that communication disorders did not only affect the individual's success in school but also influenced social life, career choice and emotional wellbeing. She was optimistic that language and speech performance could improve when the disabilities were identified early through community screening of children. The Head of Special Education said the policy of English language as a medium of instruction should be made flexible and good speech models with constant language interactions with children practicing in the early years. She suggested the use of appropriate methodology in teaching speech and language in schools, particularly by teachers in preschool and lower primary to enhance the academic performance of pupils and students. Prof Gadagbui cautioned parents not to force their children to learn foreign languages but to encourage them to use local languages to avoid poor academic performance. Professor Jophus Anamuah Mensah, Vice Chancellor of the University, said the lecture should not be a dream to teachers. They should endeavour to go to the field for the benefit of children. He assured the students and authorities of the University that the Inaugural Lecture would not be a nine-day wonder but a permanent feature of the institution. Present were Professor Asabere Ameyaw, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor-elect of the University and other Professors. Source: GNA